Part 1
By India Tomorrow Team,
New Delhi, 29 May 2014: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his team of ministers have assumed office to govern world’s second largest democracy following the historic victory of their Bharatiya Janata Party in the just concluded General Elections, India Tomorrow has decided to present the expectations and demands of cross sections of the society in a series of interviews. Here in the Part 1, eminent Christian leader Dr. John Dayal puts up his views on various issues including identity of minorities, hot topic of the day Article 370 and also poverty.
In an exclusive interview with India Tomorrow, Dr. Dayal says Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government should govern in the real sense, keep in check the elements who are creating confrontations and reassure security and freedom of the minorities and all marginalized people.
Modi should assure his non-voters
“I am looking for reassurances. I am not making demands and I think the first signal I want from Mr. Modi is that he is not going to meddle in my identity. That he is not going to meddle in whatever little security I have and that he will keep at bay all those forces who keep on threating us day in and day out – who were a part of discourse in their election campaign and who have not let go even after the BJP victory,” says Dr. Dayal.
“Mr. Modi must do things to reassure the marginalized people. The first few policy decisions he must make are to assure his nonvoters, if I may put it that, that they too are citizens and will get his undivided attention. That their concerns, their security, their identity, would be part of his concourse and that he would not allow the Sangh Parivar and other baggage that he brings with him to the government to influence his decisions.”
Governance
“For anyone really, first and basic expectation is that Mr. Modi and his government would govern. And the first reaction gives us very mixed signals. He wants peace in the subcontinent, that is very good, but his ministers seem to be raking up issues and creating confrontations which do not augur very well for his promise of good governance,” says Dr. Dayal.
Security and freedom of minorities
“As somebody who belongs to a minority community and has been agitating for issues for all minorities and all marginalized people, not just Christians, I would say the first and basic issue is security and freedom to be who we are. Not for somebody to demand that we confirm to somebody else’s definition of what an Indian should be or what Indian culture should be or what and how Indian people should behave.”
Poverty alleviation
“Most of us particularly the religious minorities of the marginalized are very poor. People tend to forget that and anything that goes to relieve poverty and to create employment is something that is good for the country.”
Scrap UAPA
“One of the ugliest laws of the last government was the UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) under which many youths, Muslims and Christians and I suppose Sikhs as well, were put into prison. That act I don’t expect it would be scrapped but I so wanted to be scrapped.”
Article 370
“The Article 370 debate doesn’t have a right time. Kashmir ascended to India on the basis of Article 370. At a time when religious minorities across the country need your assurance, at a time when peace with Pakistan is being negotiated, at a time when signals have to go to the people of Kashmir valley that they are very much part of India as citizens of India. This is not the debate which should be undertaking,” avers Dr. Dayal who was Member of National Integration Council.
He continues to say inclusive approach towards Kashmir is needed.
“Some people in Udhampur may have slightly better options but we are talking about Kashmir which has the valley in it, which has the plateau of Ladakh in it and we have Jammu which has a very mixed population. Every single group is a stakeholder. The BJP and RSS of Jammu are not the only stakeholders. And I think that the government will understand this important point.”
